Education

Dr. Wilson has dedicated his professional life to developing new methods for diagnosing and treating heart disease, and to training new physicians. He presently directs the University of Minnesota interventional-cardiology fellowship program and University of Minnesota Physicians clinical cardiovascular services.

A graduate of the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Dr. Wilson completed his residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and his cardiology fellowship at the University of Iowa. He joined the University of Minnesota faculty in 1986, when he and Dr. Carl White established a training program that has graduated over 50 interventional cardiologists. From 1988-2004, Dr. Wilson served as the director of the University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview’s cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Dr. Wilson’s investigative career initially focused on coronary physiology in humans. He developed the first catheter for the selective measure of coronary bloodflow in humans, and described the effects of atherosclerosis and transplantation on coronary bloodflow. He also first identified reinnervation of the transplanted human heart and its effects on cardiac function. Later, Dr. Wilson developed semi-computerized injection systems for coronary angiography that now used annually for millions of patients worldwide.

Dr. Wilson’s present research focus is the development of a prosthetic heart valve that can be inserted through a small catheter, eliminating the need for open-heart valve surgery. This device is now in human clinical trials.

Dr. Wilson holds numerous patents for cardiovascular treatment devices. The National Institute of Health, the American Heart Association, and private individuals have supported his work.